El Camino Hospital sits in what would appear to be an enviable position for a health care facility -- squarely in the middle of the Silicon Valley, near San Francisco. It's not shocking that the community hospital is fairly advanced when it comes to the use of IT.

But when the 443-bed acute care facility looked to tackle patient readmissions, IT made its contribution by playing a supportive role, assisting researchers in making better decisions and helping caregivers communicate more effectively. Through the combined use of data analytics and advanced telecommunications, El Camino Hospital has seen a dramatic reduction in readmissions through its initiatives.